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It had been the worst day. Tuan’s temper kept deteriorating at about the same rate as the by now all-too-familiar migraine kept doing its number on her composure. She was aware that she was being an absolute pain, but she didn’t care one jot about it. Out of her way or suffer the consequences – that was the maxim she had lived most of her life by. Sure, she knew when to be discreet about stuff, but goodness knew she could flip a Venture Co. Shredder right over when her patience was up.
Thankfully, the resident commander did indeed recognize her – if only by description – and dealt with her incessant snarky peanut gallery commentary with remarkable patience. Though on second thought, that was probably due to Theluin’s presence. Alright, all Theluin’s presence. The old Night Elf had a way to defuse just about any powder keg about to go skyhigh; it was one of his more notable talents that she had learned to (somewhat begrudgingly) appreciate.
Luckily enough, or likely because she made such a fuss about it, she had been given a room of her own to reside in. The dispatch was to spend the night resting, reprovision the next morning and immediately set off for the Portal.
She did not relish that last prospect at all. In fact, right now she was busily trying to convince herself of exactly every single reason why this had been the stupidest thing ever to go along with. She kept twisting and tossing in her bed, biting down every so often on the bile that rose intermittently in her throat. Eventually, she simply got up, put on her usual pants and shirt and flopped back onto the thoroughly undone bed, sitting at the top end with her back against the stone wall. The ever-present chill of the thick, carefully shaped and fitted blocks was faintly comforting, but it didn’t help her trepidation.
“… I don’t want to go through the Dark Portal,” she whispered dejectedly to herself.
She turned her head sharply at a soft knock on the door, and cursed under her breath when said head replied vehemently to the sudden movement. “Yeah? Who is it?”
“It’s me,” a calm, low tenor replied through the thick woodwork. “Eli. Can I come in?”
She grunted. “Sure. There’s no lock, help yourself inside.”
The Paladin entered, dressed in simple white cloth garments. He certainly looked every inch the travelling preacher that his station and title entailed. He seemed to cradle something in his hands, but she took little notice.
“What’d y’ want,” she muttered bluntly, rubbing her eyes. “Come to check on the local deliverer of bad mood complexes?”
“Something along those lines.” He held out a small cup of steaming water. “Here. Drink this. It might ease the pain.”
She half-way raised her hand to push it away, but halted in midair. “I’m not—well, alright, fine, I feel like shit. I have a freaking headache and I want to puke, but it’s not like I haven’t weathered this kind of crap before.” She nevertheless accepted the cup. As she breathed in the steam, Eli took the opportunity to sit down gently at the other end of the bed.
She sipped slowly. “… Theluin’s, huh?” she asked after a moment.
Eli nodded. “Sort of. I asked him yesterday evenin’ if he had anything that might work. He gave me th’ recipe fer this one pretty much on th’ spot.”
“Sounds like ol’ Thel.” She raised the cup to her face again.
Eli continued to regard her as she drank the infusion. As she appeared now, dressed only in rumpled pants and a formerly white shirt, curled up on top of a military bed, she did look like the young woman she technically was … and yet not. Oddly enough, he felt as if he was conversing with a young man … and yet not. It was all a little befuddling.
Tuan finished the cup and set it aside, pulling up her knees and hiding her face against them. “I figure Theluin has already briefed you on all the important details.” Her voice was hard and flat, like a slab of stone.
“Not that much,” he replied truthfully. “I’d rather hear the whole thing from you.”
She glanced at him, still not entirely mollified. “He’s told you that I get these weird headaches, and they always crop up when I’m around arcane constructs of a certain nature?”
“In about that many words, yes.”
She sighed and ruffled her hair. “Well, it’s true. Except it isn’t a headache, it’s a full-on bloody migraine, and it happens pretty much every time I’m anywhere near wherever arcane energy is being manipulated.” She looked up at him. “Yeah, I know what triggers it. There’s a pretty obvious correlation by now. It’s not like I’m stupid.”
He merely smiled gently.
“I just …” She groaned and rubbed her face. “I can’t believe I’m telling you all this.”
“Miss Tuan. I’m a circuit preacher. I abide by the same oaths o’ silence as any pastor. If you want to share personal information an’ do not wish fer me to disclose it, then I’m honour bound not to.”
She looked at him, surprisingly soberly. “Alright.” She shifted her weight minutely, adjusting her seat as she stared off into space. He waited patiently.
“… I was here, Eli.” He blinked at her in momentary incomprehension. “When the Portal opened.”
His eyes widened minutely as the realization dawned. “Light, Miss Tuan, I am so sorry,” he whispered.
She managed a wan smile. “S’alright. The whole demons-invading-our-world-in-gruesome-ways thing isn’t exactly a huge deal to me – I’ve seen what happened to Lordaeron after the Scourge did its work.” She buried her face against her knees again. “It’s that damned portal.”
He looked at her, attentively and gently urging.
She raised her head and propped one elbow on her knees, leaning her head against her knuckles. Her eyes were distinctly teary. “Eli, that day I felt pain like nothing I had ever thought possible. It was like … like lances of felfire boring through every inch of my brain, and it wouldn’t stop.” She covered her eyes with her hand, choking back a sob. He waited patiently for her to compose herself again.
She did, at length, running her fingers through her hair restlessly. “A Magistrix showed up outta nowhere. She was from the Argent Dawn, surprise surprise. I don’t know what she did, but somehow it helped, at least for a while. I think … she drained me or something? I was apparently overloading, or so they said – she and her mage colleague. I kind of scared them off at that point.” She tried to chuckle weakly. “I hate being pampered.”
Eli smiled softly and a mite ironically. “I’ve noticed.”
“Yeah. Sorry.” She looked up at him. “I figure you know most of the details about what happened next.”
Eli’s smile turned lopsided. “Miss Tuan, I was here myself.”
It was Tuan’s turn to blink in astonishment. “Well, snap. We must’ve run straight past each other. I sure don’t remember seeing you, but then again …”
He chuckled softly. “No offence taken, Miss Tuan. I doan’ r’member you either, so we’re on equal footing.” His expression took on a hint of reverie. “Nethergarde Keep was part of my circuit, and I would visit my flock every now an’ then. I just happened to visit on a really bad day.” He rolled his eyes. “I resolved to support the troops with healing an’ spiritual fortification rath’r than leaping into the fray. Mostly because I wasn’t carrying my full battlegear with me. Didn’ exactly expect to end up in a war zone.” He shrugged. “B’sides, I’ve always preferred the battle of the soul to physical conflict.”
“You have that kind of demeanour.”
“I s’pose.”
A brief beat of silence.
“I was the one who flew to Stormwind for help, you know.”
The Paladin blinked, once more caught on the back foot. “Eh?”
“Since I wasn’t going to do much good in the ensuing battle, the Crusader-General who had taken command ordered me to warn the High Commander in Stormwind.” She cracked a lopsided smirk – definitely a smirk this time. “I commandeered a riderless War Gryphon just to get a flight outta here.”
Eli was still playing mental catch-up. “… that … that was you?”
She arched an eyebrow. “You’ve heard otherwise?”
He composed himself with a visible effort. “Well, ah … I always assumed it was one of the squires, or a resident guard at the Keep.”
She smiled weakly. “Are you terribly disappointed?”
He shook his head quickly. “No, no! I’m just … a li’l surprised, s’all.” He looked over at her. “Did y’ really fly non-stop from here to Stormwind?”
“And nearly broke the Gryphon in the process, and nearly broke myself sprinting from the Roost to the Cathedral Square so I could spit the facts in Theluin’s face.” She paused for thought. “I don’t think I’ve ever really apologized to Dungar for that Gryphon. Might explain his tendency to overcharge me whenever he can find a reason to.”
Despite himself, Eli chortled. Tuan smiled, a little more easily now, as she let her knees down and eased into a cross-legged position on the bed.
“… thanks,” she finally mumbled. “I … I think this helped.”
He smiled kindly in return. “S’what I do, Miss Tuan.” He paused for a moment. “You want to go back to sleep now?”
She nodded slowly, scooting down and stretching out on the bed. “Yeah. Long day ahead and all that.” She looked up at him as he stood. “Tell Theluin to share that infusion recipe. It’s pretty good. … better than drinking myself silly, at any rate.”
He chuckled softly and nodded, standing with the hand on the door. “Will do, Miss Tuan. Sleep well.”
“You too.”
And with that, he exited, closing the door as quietly as possible. The Paladin kept a gentle, content smile on his face all the way back to his own quarters.
Behind him, it only took a few minutes for the she-rogue to fall asleep.
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Originally written by Tuan Taureo
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